The Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Tuesday, forwarded two bills to the House of Assembly for legislative consideration and possible passage into law.
The bills are: The Ekiti State Judiciary (Funds Management) Bill, 2021 and the Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021.
The Judiciary Bill is a bill for a law to provide for the management of funds of the Ekiti state judiciary and the repeal of the Ekiti state Fiscal Autonomy for the Judicial Arm of Government Law, No 8 of 2008 and for other related matters.
In a statement by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, made available to newsmen Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, the government of Ekiti proposed the bill in furtherance of the Memorandum of Action on the Implementation of the Financial Autonomy for the State Judiciary, which was jointly signed, by the Nigeria Governors Forum and the National Judicial Council among others on 20 May, 2021.
He said:”In broad terms, the purpose of this bill is to grant Ekiti state judiciary the power to manage its capital and recurrent expenditure in accordance with the provision of Sections 6(5)(a)-(I), 81(3), 121(3) and Item 21(e) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and other relevant laws.
The commissioner said the bill further affirms the severally stated commitment of the Fayemi administration to an independent judiciary that is professional, effective, and responsive to the needs of all users including where appropriate, the provision of informal dispute resolution mechanisms.
Also in the statement, the Second Bill is the Creation of Local Government Bill, 2021 which is a bill for a law to provide for the creation of new local government areas in Ekiti state and for other related matters.
The commissioner said the bill seeks to create 19 new local government areas in addition to the existing 16 local government in the state as specified in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
